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Sportsnet
Dave Tippett isn’t perfect, but Oilers need stability more than a coaching change
- …they bleat, do Northern Alberta’s Twitter GMs, the way they have for the past 15 years in Edmonton, where firing coaches every second season has led to so much success.
- …they have some holes in their lineup, a 39-year-old goalie who is hurt — again — and a team that is muddling along, burning through their excellent start and devolving into a wildcard hopeful…
- The locals are getting sour, as is their right, and of course, the kneejerk reaction is to fire the coach.
- To these eyes, this coaching staff gives its team a plan that — when properly executed — has them in any game against any team. The issues are with the Bottom 6 forwards, a defence whose depth has been sternly tested, and some nights in goal.
- If we’d have told you that in training camp, would you have settled for an 18-12-2 mark at this point? I would have.
- …stability is what this franchise requires more than another new name in one of the NHL’s longest lines of head coaches over the past 10 years.
BLH’s Thoughts: First things first, all those years where Edmonton was firing a coach every year or every other year, that wasn’t the fans. That was management and ownership. The fans just went along with the plan until it became an expected result after a bad year.
And is it a “kneejerk reaction” after 2.5 seasons of watching the same mistakes being made over and over?… Is the team better because of Tippett or because of its players taking the next step?
So, the locals are getting sour because they haven’t been witness to the kind of expected improvement they were promised when Ken Holland and Dave Tippett were brought on.
They’re getting sour because the coach’s tactics are falling on deaf ears and his assistants found success when he was on the IR. The team has a good young goalie in Bakersfield that doesn’t need to be there anymore, he needs reps at the NHL level now, yet the coach rides a tired Koskinen and an injured Mike Smith instead. He tosses Ryan McLeod and Zach Hyman out in OT when he’s got Jesse Puljujarvi and an in-form Kailer Yamamoto on the bench…
There’ve been a lot of questionable decisions from Tippett in his 2+ years coaching Edmonton, that’s all I’m saying and I’m not sure I can point to a single call from him that’s been memorable from a positive POV.
If you’re the fan of a team that was bounced from the first round of the playoffs the season prior after outplaying their opponents in every game, would you be happy with a record this year that has your team inches from being on the outside of the playoff picture looking in? Because that’s what Spec is saying…
Spector says stability is what the team needs more than another new name, eh? What the hell is he even talking about? He knows that Tippett is out of contract this summer, right? So, if Tippett walks, is that when Spector will say that the time was right and a new voice behind the bench is just what the team needs? I mean, I wouldn’t put it past him, I’m just hoping that’s not what Ken Holland, Bob Nicholson, or Darryl Katz is thinking.
So here’s the thing, Friedman and Amber talked about the Oilers coaching position right off the bat in the first intermission (bringing up Mike Babcock’s name in the process) and Spector wrote a whole article on it… David Amber ended the segment saying, “That’s something to keep an eye on.” could be an easy transition, or it could be that something’s really up.
Can't believe we are on #BabcockWatch for the Oilers.
— Editor in J (@Account4hockey) January 1, 2022
It’ll be the topic of the week on Oilers talk radio and in the blogosphere and actually, until one of two things happen,
- Edmonton strings together some wins
- Tippett is fired
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire and I’m still being told the GM is considering a change behind the bench and the source for that information has very close ties to a team on the West Coast.
Oil on Whyte
10 Trade Options the Edmonton Oilers Should Target
10. Dylan Strome (C,LW) – Chicago Blackhawks
- An RFA at the end of the season with a cap hit of $3,000,000. He has familiarity with Connor McDavid from their OHL days with the Erie Otters. Strome would fill the 3rd line centre or wing roll quite well as a change of scenery may be beneficial for him.
9. Ben Chairot (D) – Montreal Canadiens
- The only reason he’s at number 9 on my list is because Montreal is expecting to get a 1st round pick in return. Edmonton is reportedly out on youngster Jacob Chychrun from Arizona, so Chairot could be some sort of a substitute.
8. Rickard Rakell (W) – Anaheim Ducks
- Rickard Rakell has been on the Oiler’s radar since before last season’s trade deadline. He’s a UFA at the end of the season with a current cap hit of $3,789,444 and can fill a top 6 wing role or even the hole at 3rd centre.
7. Semyon Varlomov (G) – New York Islanders
- The veteran net minder hasn’t said to be on the trade block but he would be a nice addition for the Oilers. The 33 year old is a proven playoff performer and is the solid goaltending that the club may need.
6. Mark Giordano (D) – Seattle Kraken
- The shut down man’s current cap hit of $6,750,000 is a bit much but Giordano is a UFA after this season so he’d be nothing more than a playoff rental. The former Norris could probably fetch a couple picks from the 2nd, 3rd or 4th round and maybe even a prospect.
5. Calvin De Haan (D) – Chicago Blackhawks
- Another solid defenseman who is basically a younger and cheaper version of the previous option. He would be a good option for the left side of the Oiler’s defense, who carries a cap hit of $4,500,000.
4. Bryan Rust (W) – Pittsburgh Penguins
- There’s been rumours that Rust will be testing the free agent market this summer so the Penguins might be inclined to trade the 29 year old winger. A cap hit of $3,500,000 is something the Oilers could work around for a guy who could slide right into the top 6. The team would possibly have to give up their 1st rounder or multiple picks to get him.
3. Jake DeBrusk (W) – Boston Bruins
- The former 1st rounder requested a trade back in November, but the Bruins have yet to find a suitor. DeBrusk is an Edmonton native and may benefit from a change of scenery, especially to his hometown.
2. Phil Kessel (RW) – Arizona Coyotes
- Phil Kessel is probably the most intriguing of targets. The veteran winger is a 2-time Stanley Cup winner, so he has plenty of playoff experience. The 34 year old had 20 goals and 43 points in 56 games last season and currently 21 points in 30 games this year.
- He’s knows how to play with stars and is a shoot first player Edmonton is missing. He would give the Oilers an option to potentially move Nugent-Hopkins into the 3rd centre position, adding so much more depth.
1. Marc-Andre Fleury (G) – Chicago Blackhawks
- One of the biggest holes for the Edmonton Oilers is a consistent and strong goaltender. Fleury is a proven veteran but is also showing he can still bring it. He currently has a respectable 2.86 GAA and a SV% of .913 on a weaker Blackhawks team.
BLH’s Thoughts: Off of that list, if the Oilers are indeed going “all-in”, I like Marc-Andre Fleury, Ben Chiarot, and Bryan Rust. There’s no way that’s happening though.
Here are TEN more names to consider that’ve had their names pop up in connection to the Oilers this year though,
- Vlad Gavrikov (D), Columbus
- Joonas Korpisalo (G), Columbus
- Brendan Gallagher (RW), Montreal
- Carey Price (G), Montreal
- Carson Soucy (D), Seattle
- Mason Appleton (W), Seattle
- Nathan Bastian (RW), New Jersey
- Alexander Georgiev (G), New York
- Lawson Crouse (LW), Arizona
- Johan Larsson (C), Arizona
So as you can see, a lot of depth options aside from the odd all-star.
“All-in”… I’m going to be very interested how this gets interpreted by the Oilers in the coming months…
